Baloo, an adorable chocolate-brown rescue dog who brought joy and laughter to autistic children and book lovers from across the kingdom and beyond, has laid his paws to rest.
The 15-year-old star of a series of books and a movie suffered a heart attack while on a walk with his owner, Bahrain-based British author Sarah Clarke.
Read on GDNlife: Baloo, gone but never forgotten
“He wanted me with him almost all day last Friday,” said Ms Clarke. “It’s like he knew it was going to be his last and he wanted to go on one last walk with me the way we usually do.
“I’m grateful he wasn’t in any pain. That is all I could have wished for him. When he passed away, he was surrounded by all those that loved him including my husband, David, and his handler Hari Pandey with his wife Sushma Gautam. We will miss him so much.
“He has lived a long and happy life and has moved so many people. I’ve never met a dog like Baloo. I have learned many lessons from him as I’m sure others have too. He never complained and accepted what came his way. It is something we should all live by.”
Baloo was more than just a four-legged companion, he was an education support dog that spent his days with Ms Clarke visiting different schools and organisations to spread the message of inclusivity and equality.
Ms Clarke, who volunteers at the RIA Institute Bahrain, an inclusive education centre that caters to the needs of students with special needs, developed a programme called Baloo’s Buddies in which the lovable labrador helped children become more confident.
“Baloo never judged anyone and treated everyone, no matter what age or where they are from, equally,” she explained. “He accepted people for who they are and he was incredible with children.
“He made pupils happy and put them at ease. I have seen children, that were unable to speak before they met Baloo, talk and others that could not calm down become completely at peace.
“I remember there was a young man that was hyperactive and when he met Baloo, he sat with him calmly for 20 minutes. Baloo just listened, he didn’t judge.”
As part of the programme, Baloo would work in 15-minute intervals for up to two-hours at the Adliya institute, with one-to-one sessions and in small groups, playing simple games with the children outside providing both educational and health benefits.
“Baloo was an enabler in the true sense of the word because he did not judge who he was with and allowed the people around him to be themselves with no preconceptions,” said Christine Gordon MBE, RIA’s student director. “He never barked at the children and on the few occasions I heard his long and deep ‘wooooof’ it was when he needed to alert us of something.
“A ‘retired’ sniffer dog he may be, but he will always be a champion with our students- the likes of which will not often be seen. We will remember him through Sarah’s Baloos Reading Buddies programme as well as his books.”
Baloo’s Reading Buddies, held at The Bookcase store on Budaiya Highway in Saar and supported by Linda Jennings, was founded by Ms Clarke two years ago to aid children with their fluency, as well as build up their passion for books.
She said: “I started the reading buddies to help children find their own confidence and we had amazing transformations. Students that would mumble in their socks have suddenly become outgoing and read with confidence because the dogs don’t judge them when they are reading.”
Ms Clarke also wrote two books called Where’s Baloo? and This Way Baloo! illustrated by artist Sunanda Docherty.
Thousands of copies were sold of the second. The proceeds from book sales, from various events staged by Ms Clarke and donations, helped raise BD6,000 for RIA.
Sponsor
The first book was sponsored by Oak Utility Solutions & Development. The second book was produced with the support of Delmon Boarding Kennels and Cattery in Barbar, owned by Pauline Richards, where Baloo was originally adopted from.
Ms Clarke and her husband adopted Baloo when he was two. Ms Richards said: “Sarah and Baloo were the perfect match. Baloo’s a lovely smart, happy and affectionate dog. He is a typical chocolate lab. We enjoyed helping Sarah make Baloo’s second book about his visit and meeting his friends at our Kennels.”
Baloo was a very good judge of character too. He was the first to meet any of Ms Clarke’s rescues before taking them into her home to be trained and rehomed. She had rescued and rehomed about 75 dogs while living in a neighbouring country and Baloo was a star on a children’s TV programme there too.
Baloo’s fame helped rescued strays too with the collection of 2,000 cans in a ‘Just One Can’ dog food appeal. Ms Clarke encourages people to keep contributing.
She added: “For his legacy, I would dearly love there to be a fully-fledged therapy dog programme in Bahrain and if there is anyone who would like to sponsor it and be its patron, I would be delighted for them to contact me. It is much needed here, especially for supporting mental well-being.”
Ms Clarke thanks the schools and organisations that have given her and Baloo a chance to make a difference including Harbour Gate and Angus Campbell, chief executive of Financial Centre Development Company. She would also like to thank Jason Carter for making a movie of Baloo’s life and photographer Gaye Bentham for keeping his memory alive in photographic form.
Those that wish to share their favourite stories and memories of Baloo on social media can hashtag #baloosbuddies. For more details @baloosbuddies on Instagram
Also visit www.gdnlife.com to read a special poem about Baloo.
Baloo and Ms Clarke with Ms Gordon and the students of RIA
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